Cowshed

Yes there are obvious negatives. Benefits ? None. Players tend to have routines v superstitions. Very familiar routines to govern nerves and focus. Routines that look like ritual and superstitions but have a psychological value.

There is a condition called Haglunds where a bony spur forms where the achilles is attached. There is a benefit to altering the boot to a miniscule number of players. Cutting holes in socks is supposedly done to reduce pressure on the calf, which in turn reduces risk of cramp. There is no medical basis for it, players cutting holes in their socks get cramp as well!

If you interested in this type of thing, to improve goal focus in sport we remove unnecessary thoughts from our brain (pre frontal cortex governs attention, focus etc) to improve function. The PFC is minuscule, and can be thought of as a like a bucket in its mechanics, and putting things into the the bucket leads to overflow, and being distracted from that primary focus - Performance on a football pitch. So, yes we can surely create minor distractions.

None of the points will improve goal focus. The focus of winning a football match.

Man City could easily get an upgrade to Edersons modest shot stopping ability. His passing ability? No. Not only does Ederson skills base fit Man City's key possession principle he advances the sub principles as to how they will play e.g. width and extreme depth and playing positionally. Man City made a compromise to advance their football by putting a exceptional talent with the ball at his feet in one of the fundamental positions for a team playing possession and positional football.

The passing to the what are wide positions is due to the intent of the team, they are part of the build up patterns as an out ball. The low success % playing to flanks (30 -35M) is still more advantageous than playing longer centrally (+40m) where the % success for O'leary is notably very low and the risk from lost possession increases. In possession the team is opening out, numerical superiority is conceded centrally and if the ball is then played centrally the team is in a very poor position to defend against a counter attack. In regards to accuracy its a competency you would expect a keeper in a possession based team to have. O'leary's passing range (length x variety of pass) and its accuracy is on the low side, and very low v Keepers playing in teams playing out through the thirds.

There would be no change to the laws of the game. Even Bishop Sutton languishing at the bottom (no wins) of the tool station have time to coach players to time waste etc. The recently departed foreign sounding coach had some long player meetings, and sessions. Their players do not get £30 a game.

Not if they are, we are. I instruct adult players to foul players in transition. 100%. Clubs also pay these players fines. If we don't do it, the opponents will and our teams are disadvantaged. Football is not Corinthian. Teams with the money will also give players a little top on their wages for fouling. Cheating has always gone on, but modern football has its new phenom. The finest coaches in Europe instruct their players to target transition, unless anybody thinks that the very best are achieving tactical fouls versus transition at speeds higher than the rest, Pep and Ange we salute you. This will continue to increase without intervention. There is nothing to stop teams using fouling as an out of possession tactic. What gets practiced at the top is mimicked throughout the game.

This is neither silly, or a suggestion. Sin bins are a reality that are used in English football. This was done at the bequest of IFAB. The results of the experiences of using sin bins was an increases in leagues wanting to use sin bins, and now widely leagues and clubs wanting the use of sin bins being made permanent. Leagues and regional are also requesting that refs can use a additional card to improve the communication and identify the sin binning of players.

Yes it is. Stoppages are added on. And if a player is in the sin bin minutes before half time, he cannot start the second half till the ref deems his temporary dismissal has finished.

Got the stats for that? Or is that the view of a handful like the Spurs Manager? The Spurs who are amongst the highest tactical foulers in England, or Arsenal's "Arteta? The man caught on camera imploring players "when there is a transition foul ", his Arsenal are alongside Spurs. Man City are the champions of the tactical foul. The best cheating the best. Tactical fouling is increasing, its increased with possession football. And dissent? Increasing. Where has it decreased? In leagues where sin bins have been trialled.

1. In football the fourth official adds time where they see it is appropriate. 2/3. What have been the outcomes of the four year trial? 4. It is not a minefield, its a simple and straight forward. The blue card sanction would only be applied very narrowly to specific infringements. The referee would apply an impactful blue card to fouls that stop promising attacks, the current sanction of just a yellow card and near meaningless free kick encourages players to take one for the team. The blue card would not include infringements where the red card is a consideration. I

What has been the outcome of sin bins being used in leagues since 2019?

You would sin bin players for all yellow card offences ...You red haired revolutionary you.

? Blue ten minutes in sin bin. Yellow caution. Red sending off. This is as rudimentary as 1,2,3.

Why is it complicated for you to understand? A player and anybody would instantly know that a blue card is for one of only several sanctioned offences. Consistently. Teams and top teams headed by Managers like Klopp and Guardiolas teams will as a tactic routinely foul players to stop promising attacks. This is an accepted part of the game. There is a distinction in the laws between stopping a promising attack and denying clear goal scoring opportunity. The former doesn't have a sanction of a red card, and the latter does.

This is not complicated. Blue ten minutes in sin bin. Yellow caution. Red sending off.

Naismith. The club should have multiple options in key positions. I can't think of a possession system that does not have players with above average passing abilities in key positions. Naismith would be an obvious choice to occupy a fundamental position in CM. The system needs comfortable on the ball and a distributor. Naismith in a 4-2-3-1 as part of the two as a pivot and CDM, or double pivot. 4-3-3 part of the central three as a pivot and CDM and an attacking midfielder.

Thankfully you understood. what I was writing, I was thinking this looks like formation turbo nerd .. Yes I use the term U passing. The CB's are a long way apart and the ball goes up back across and repeat. No pass is pointless, but some have less intent, teams with average players, and City's are solid pros but average will see this passing that lacks penetration, and it is easy to defend against when the opponents lack players that are not good on the ball. Possession football doesn't require average as a keystone skill. Stick an extra player in and the patterns change. Stick an extra player in and the opponents have more challenges to face. Go 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 there is an overload (frequently) to play into centrally to break lines.

The intent is possession, so I opt for shapes that I think would be more conducive to keeping possession and offering security - 4-2-3-1/4-3-3. In possession with an intent of playing full (full length of pitch), and with an eight, and two in the 4-2-3-1/4-3(2-1!) -3 leaving holding positions in relation to possession and patterns of play it would frequently look different, fluid!

The poster used the word conducive. Are some formations more conducive to keeping possession? I would answer yes.

But formation can be used to attempt to dictate possession by creating numerical superiority. 4-3-3 has an overload v 4-4-2 centrally, so does 4-2-3-1. 3-4-2-1 creates a box midfield and numerical superiority versus a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1. 3-4-2-1 v 4-4-2 centrally mobs out the centre.

I do not understand your post

Sorry but over 70% of goals in the EPL are not scored from turn overs of possession in the first third.

And its difficult without midfielders who drop in on the half turn, or facing their own goal to play bounce passes, roll it onto the FB's, or turn and play forward. And its difficult without a keeper who doesn't take part in build up play, cant take out 3/4 opposing players and ping a ball into his wide receivers. They are not cannot pass a balls. The players have ability and aptitudes and Liam Manning is attempting to synch those aptitudes. These players can play possession football to a level, its not a catastrophe, the team is at its inception, principles are being intergraded, principles are not normalised and integrated. Performances are? At a level to be expected. Uneven and inconsistent.